Last Memoranza

Yesterday I attend to an all day scrapbooking meet with other CM members.  This day was planned about a month or two before CM went into receivership.  The truth was told yesterday which I knew all along.  It was the main company is US who is in financial trouble and is causing operation problems for Australia.  I assume NZ is in the same vote!! 

 

All this week I had emails about liquidation sales.  It ends tomorrow night!  I would like to order but I don't trust the company anymore after what they done to my membership.  If I order online I may not get the item (as all items listed WSL) and they won't refund me  I probably do better on eBay!! Don't tell my consultant that as she wasn't happy about some ex-consultants were selling their stock on eBay. Majority of the sales on offer are high bidders on album refills and page protectors.  They are going triple the RRP. I heard through the grapevine there is a company who makes very similar album pages as CM. I should check their website to see how much they are going for.

 

The only item I purchased cash was a cup caddy when you place on the side of the table. Normal RRP was $35 but she had the reduced sale for $15.  This caddy is bigger then the previous model (known as the side kick years before). You can even place your mobile inside (where you suppose to). It would be big enough for two mobile phones of today.

 

We had afew raffles going!  We had to earn tickets to get one or more tickets.  I managed to get only three from using particular tools or completed their pages of the day. And guess what?  I won a small pack of Christmas stickers!! The jokes were going around about selling some our winning items on eBay.  Of course our consultant overheard and wasn't a happy camper about that.  But hey!  Some people (sellers) need money as the company didn't pay their wages for the past month or two.  And the buyers were desperate for their item so they will pay anything for it as it isn't available anymore. 

 

Apparently there was a corporate meeting during the week about the company's future.  We were told there could be prospect for a new company introduced in Australia.  I mean that could be months or afew years before that could be up and running. Until then, life goes on!!

Farewell CM!!!

Today I supposely attend to the scrapbooking workshop but since CM has gone into receivership I don't think my consultant's workshops will be continuing anymore.  It doesn't really bother me because I have learnt alot of CM ideas for the past 14 years. I have alot of workshop sheets around to guide my inspiration ideas if I lose my mojo.  If I need to see new ideas for inspiration I will just go online and have a look around or use magazines.  Guess the only thing I will miss is the other ladies at workshops and attending camps twice a year.  It was alot of fun going away for the weekend!!

 

I do know afew other workshop ladies would be upset about this changeover because I think it was their only time they go out for a social scrap time with other scrapbooking friends.  I have the craft store so I will probably continue to do just casual scrap meets weekly on Tuesdays until further notice. And do more digital work at home which I found it's easier and be quicker to create a page then going traditionally method.  To be honest I thought CM might of been heading towards digitally standards as some of their traditionally items for sale was going off the market.

 

What pissed me off the most was I only renewed my yearly membership on Friday and I was told via my consultant about the company's downfall on Saturday.  Unfortunately my payment  has been processed and I found out I won't be able to claim a refund from the company.  I called into my bank to find out if they could do the process on my behalf.  They can but they have to close our account down before they can process my dispute.  It isn't the money that bothers me, it's the principle of the head office failing to tell their clients the right way. They could of at least advertised on their website to warn their clients before making an online transaction.

 

To my understanding as I heard through the grapevine, it seems it was the US company who is in financial difficulties which is affecting the operation in Australia.  That would make more sense when I looked at the US version online when they said the same thing and shown all the products as WSL. And it seems the company knew before last Friday they plan on going into receivership. I was told via various business owners, they won't refund my membership money or pay up who they owe money to.  Isn't that class as fraud??  Good luck to them if they can get away with it but I am sure someone who has the money will make a courtcase if the company doesn't deal with their creditors who have bigger fish to fry. 

 

I don't know how often you would use eBay but I had a good look last night (for the first time in many months) to see how much Creative Memories products are available.  I couldn't believe what I saw!!  I seen (more then once of course) a pack of album refills and one pack of page protectors at around $150 and the auction hasn't ended yet. I have two coversets (which I only purchased at discounted prices) that requires album refills and etc but no way I would pay $150 plus when the normal rrp is around $50.   How desperate would you pay for something that can't be purchased from the company anymore??

 

CM started in US in 1987 and move to Australia ten years later.  Afew people had said it was the competition from other craft companies they had to try and keep up with the times.  From what I have seen for over a decade it might of been their downfall!! I will admit some of their CM products are fantastic but it was the cost of the item was the downfall to my budget requirements.

 

 

Scrap Camp

Good evening to all!  Back to reality today after my weekend away without any housekeeping duties.  The weekend sure ticked on by so quickly, didn't it? I was away on a scrapbooking camp for two nights.

 

There were 21 ladies in one room and most of us were quite productive over the weekend. There were only a couple of ladies who done their pages digitally but I completed many school pages, traditionally.   At long last one project is finished.  I showed two of my small albums to afew bowling players last night.  There are a couple of pages are my favourites.  

 

Better start thinking about what to have for dinner as it's heading towards 5pm.  

Have a nice day!

Welcome back ATCs!!

The countdown is on!  In seven days time I will be off to my weekend away to a scrap camp at our popular venue, west of Brisbane.  It was exactly twelve months ago we went there on camp when the lady from Brookfield was reported missing.

Haven't been to many scrap meets this month due to school holidays but I have been busy finalizing my preparations (what to do) at camp for the weekend. 

Only on Wednesday I attended to the only workshop to do a simple layout.  I was working on some Graduation photos from last year. Supposely attending to the second workshop tonight but I am still recovering from a migraine virus I came down with yesterday.

Last weekend I decided to join a craft group online as one of my friends is a moderator.  First time in a couple of years I was busy last weekend working on some ATCs to swap in a jam swap with other members who sign up to do these kinds of swaps. The idea of this swap to make 3 ATCs with a background image then send to the next person to add their touch.  Then they send to the third person to add the final touches.  The only rule all ATCs must be the same creation done.  The number three person keeps one ATC and posts home the other two to the maker. To keep the jams routine going, you make backgrounds and forward them to other members on the list. When someone sends you a jam swap you add your touches then post to either another player or maker.

My 13yo daughter has textile studies this term.  Apparently her class will be sewing a calico bag on their practical days of the lesson each week.  I think they will be starting next week as I have to get some equipment organised before the next lesson. 

Keep your mojo creative juices going this season!

Updates

For the past two months I have attended to most weekly casual meets at the local craft store and six CM workshops to learn new inspiration pages from new and old products. 

Since I was introduce to AZZA last year I intend to incorporate both American and French style together. I use the Amercian version for pages and embellishments still but interlock the photos together and use ABC stencils for the titles. 

Last meet happened on Friday night until midnight.  This workshop was to use one of the large shaped CC and border maker punches inside the large shaped ribbon cut. I used the largest oval CC. It was a challenge but the outcome was worthwhile.

Now the countdown is on for our first scrap camp for the year.  Only on Thursday I started on some scrap camp preparations of photos to do the girl's school albums over the weekend next month.  This week I am hoping to grab some layout page layouts from both CM and AZZA.

Two craft tips

I have two interesting craft tips for crafters to try out.

To glue fibres into your curves, use a glue pen.  Draw onto the paper where you your fibres to go. Let the glue go tacky and then press your fibre into it for afew seconds. 

Instead of matting your photos with cardstock or papers, try lightly sanding or inking the edges of your photos.  For a darker photo lightly sand the edges to give a lighter feel to the photo.  For a photo is abit too light, use your inkpad to ink around the photo edges. It's recommended to use a quick dry kind of inkpad.  Remember the ink pad must be acid free.

Enjoy your craft!  Keep those mojo juices going!!

New craft tip

After a month's break of attending to any scrap meets, it was mid January 2013 by the time I got back to casual scrap at the craft store with friends.  I was using the AZZA style with photo subjects from last year. At present time I am hoping to attend as many casual meets on Tuesdays during school hours. 

Only last week it the return of CM workshops via my consultant.  The first lesson was just using the one of the new border makers from last year to do a summer layout.  I worked on some photos from my summer holiday of last year.

I thought this year will be best to catch up on projects I am behind in. There was talk about a proposed camp to be held at our popular venue on a weekend in March which would be a great opportunity to catch up in the school albums.

Thought I would share a new craft tip for this weekend.  Who uses acetate or similar transparencies for their craft projects?  Did you know these sheets can be used as templates?? But if you plan on computer print your template onto these sheets, just be careful which type of sheets you use through the printer.  Some plastic sheets can melt and wreck your printer. If you are unsure which sheet to use, best to ask your local craft store or officeworks for recommendations. But remember to check your paper setting on your computer before you print out on your acetate sheet.  Make sure your paper setting is set on transparency before you print your templates.